Post created by the Ministry of Magic. The High Inquisitor inspected teachers, passed Educational Decrees, and (later) had supreme say over all punishments and sanctions. Post abolished at the end of the year.

Substitute team

Shortly after one of Gryffindor's first Quidditch matches, Draco Malfoy insulted and provoked Fred, George, Ron and Harry. All except Ron promptly attacked him, had their broomsticks confiscated, and were banned from Quidditch for life by Professor Umbridge (although these bans were lifted after she was removed from Hogwarts).[citation needed] Their replacements were as follows:

In 1995, Harry, Ron and Hermione formed a secret "club" entitled Dumbledore's Army. Its purpose was to prepare students adequately for the outside world and to give them some practice of their spells for their O.W.L.s - something its members agreed the now Ministry-controlled Hogwarts was not doing and deliberately so. After successfully holding regular meetings between 5 October 1995 and 20 April1996, the Army was forced to split up after Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe gave their location away to the Inquisitorial Squad.[citation needed]

Weasley family crisis

Shortly before the Christmas holidays, it became common knowledge around Gryffindor House (as well as around the school) that the Weasley family and Harry had to leave early due to some sort of family crisis although the exact details of this crisis are known by fewer.[1] Students soon realised that the Weasleys returned once classes resumed for the new term.

When Harry gave an interview about Lord Voldemort to The Quibbler, Umbridge then banned possession of the magazine. Umbridge also went on to make ludicrous restrictions such as boys and girls not being allowed to stand within a certain limit of one another.[citation needed]

These actions were sanctioned by the Ministry of Magic in the form of Educational Decrees, but students merely found ways to circumvent them. With her new power, she dismissed Sybill Trelawney as Professor of Divination, however when she attempted to send Trelawney away from the school, she was unable to because Albus Dumbledore still had the power to keep Trelawney on school grounds and chose to do so.[citation needed]

Umbridge was horrified when Dumbledore replaced Trelawney with a centaur named Firenze, and considered him, a mixture of human and horse, a "filthy half-breed". Her strong opinion of centaurs would later get her into trouble.[2]

Teachers tested

All teachers were "tested" by Professor Umbridge during her time as Hogwarts High Inquisitor. She asked them questions concerning their time teaching at Hogwarts and also to see if they were "competent" at their job. She enjoyed putting teachers on the spot, however some, such as Professor McGonagall, did the same to her in return. She was very prejudiced against some, particularly half-breeds, and judged them before even questioning them.[citation needed]

Appearances

Notes and references

↑Many rumours circulate about Harry whereabouts throughout Hogwarts. Therefore it can be presumed that students at school noticed his absence. It is confimed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that the boys in Harry and Ron's dormitory were aware of the crisis, as they were woken by Harry's nightmares. Hermione Granger would have been one of the few students aware that the crisis was due to Arthur Weasley's attack by Nagini.